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Dallas Stars center Jason Dickinson (16) tries to deflect a shot past St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington (50) during the first period at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Tuesday, May 7, 2019. The teams were playing in the Western Conference Second Round Game 7 of the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News)(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)

Stars restricted free agent Jason Dickinson filed for arbitration before Friday's 4 p.m. deadline to do so, the NHLPA announced. Dickinson was the only Stars player to file for arbitration, while defensemen Dillon Heatherington, Gavin Bayreuther and Niklas Hansson (playing in Sweden next season) were also eligible to do so.

The move is generally a formality, with 40 of the 44 arbitration filings last year settled before a hearing (although the Stars and Gemel Smith did go to a hearing). Hearings will be hosted in Toronto from July 20 to Aug. 4, and Dickinson is one of 40 players to elect arbitration.

Dickinson is coming off his best professional season, with six goals and 16 assists in 67 games, mostly as the fourth-line center before elevating to a top-six wing during the playoffs. The former first-round pick turned 24 years old Thursday and averaged 13:22 of ice time last season.

Matthew DeFranks. Matt covers the Stars for SportsDay, and previously covered the Florida Panthers for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He's also covered college football, the Miami Marlins, the Kansas City Royals and the Los Angeles Angels for a variety of outlets. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame.